[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] What Was the Problem in the Civil Servant Shooting Incident?

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The government's response to the incident in which North Korea shot and brutally burned a Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official, Mr. Lee, has come under scrutiny. If the military authorities had detected clues through surveillance intelligence assets that the missing Mr. Lee had been found, they should have strongly demanded his repatriation through various channels to North Korea. Critics argue that the military's passive response, considering inter-Korean relations, led to this tragic outcome. Although the military explained that this incident did not violate the September 19 Inter-Korean Military Agreement, it remained silent on the point that the spirit of the agreement was damaged, fueling controversy over its cautious stance.

According to military authorities, Mr. Lee, a Grade 8 Marine Fisheries Officer belonging to the West Sea Fisheries Guidance and Management Unit in Mokpo under the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, went missing on the 21st in the sea 1.2 miles (2 km) south of Soyeonpyeong Island. On the day of his disappearance, Mr. Lee was unreachable from around 11:30 a.m., lunchtime, prompting his fellow crew members to search inside the vessel and nearby waters before reporting to the Coast Guard.

The military identified Mr. Lee's location the following day. Through surveillance intelligence assets, the military detected indications that around 3:30 p.m. on the 22nd, a North Korean fisheries enforcement boat found the missing person, referred to as Mr. A, in the waters off Deungsanggot, Hwanghae Province. It is estimated that the North Korean military shot Mr. Lee around 9:40 p.m. on the 22nd.

President Moon Jae-in received the first report around 6:36 p.m. that day. Critics argue that if the military had been instructed to respond promptly at that time, the situation could have been prevented from worsening. The problems continued thereafter. On the 23rd, the Blue House held an emergency meeting from 1 a.m., chaired by Suh Hoon, Director of the National Security Office, with the heads of the National Intelligence Service, Ministry of Unification, and Ministry of National Defense attending, and reported face-to-face to President Moon in the morning, but no specific response instructions were given. This has led to criticism of the military's inadequate reporting.

Considering inter-Korean relations, passive responses and contradictory excuses followed. On the 24th, Defense Minister Suh Wook appeared before the National Defense Committee of the National Assembly and explained the delayed disclosure of the shooting death incident after media reports by saying, "We did not expect North Korea to commit such a heinous act, so we were analyzing the information." This is the background of the controversy over the inadequate response.

However, the military obtained information about Mr. Lee's disappearance on the 22nd and confirmed his shooting about an hour and ten minutes later, around 4:40 p.m., in North Korean waters. About 4 hours and 20 minutes later, around 9 p.m., they also detected indications that a higher North Korean naval unit ordered the enforcement boat to shoot Mr. Lee. Although this was at the intelligence level, criticism arises because they merely watched the life of a missing citizen unfold without intervention.

The military's understanding of the military agreement is also problematic. On the 24th, during a briefing to reporters on the investigation results, the military explained, "North Korea did not violate the military agreement." An official said, "The military agreement does not include small arms but only artillery," and added, "Shooting at a person is not covered by the military agreement." However, Suh Joo-seok, Secretary-General of the National Security Council at the Blue House, stated, "It is not a violation of detailed items, but it is true that the spirit of the September 19 military agreement, aimed at reducing military tensions and building trust in border areas, was damaged." The military was previously criticized for being overly cautious toward North Korea when it defined North Korea's shooting toward a South Korean GP in May as an "accidental shooting."

The inter-Korean military agreement, symbolizing the peace process on the Korean Peninsula promoted by the Moon Jae-in administration, is the "Military Agreement for the Implementation of the Panmunjom Declaration (September 19 Military Agreement)" signed on September 19, 2018, by then Defense Minister Song Young-moo and North Korean Minister of People's Armed Forces No Kwang-chol. It includes measures in five areas to prevent accidental armed clashes between the South and North Korean militaries.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.